What a bloody day. I spent FIVE hours in traffic because a lorry spilled its load across a motorway. Three lanes cut off in an instant, and me about five cars from the epicentre. Do you know how hard it is for the police to reverse a motorway to get people out?

Five hours, hard. That's how long.

Oh, and some people don't seem to know how car batteries work either, because several cars broke down behind me – getting me even more stuck. If I'd brought a bloody laptop, I could have written this, but no, nooo, I had nothing but an iPhone, and I'm sorry, but you cannot type on those blasted things.

So, yeah… this chapter is a little rushed. As in I started it at 1pm – and it had to be done by 5pm so that I could go to the hospital with my nephew. The worst part is that moment where you realise your entire iTunes collection has replayed itself for the third time. I wanted someone to get out and start a fight just so I'd have something to do. T_T

Also, in five hours, I could have dragged every loose bit of crap on the road away, but nooo – they have to assess the situation first, which means an hour or more of them just looking at it, and making sure they're not breaking any health and safety regulations by touching something. Argh!


Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Dishwasher1910

Book 3: Chapter 15


The Paladin's scream was enough to bring everything to a halt. It echoed through the room and out into the corridors beyond, and even Coco, Pyrrha and Torchwick froze. "You bitch," he roared, reaching back with one hand to grip Blake's vest. He threw her forward and slammed her against a wall, before he reached up to grip the hilt of the dagger still embedded in his eye.

The sound of him wrenching it out was horrifying… as was the deluge of blood and other matter that poured out with it. He staggered forward but caught himself against the wall, his other hand coming up in a fist. White light washed over him.

The bleeding stopped, and Watts righted himself – but there could be no salvaging what was no longer there. His eye socket was a ruined mess, even with it being healed.

"What have you done to me?" he seethed. He pushed himself off the wall and swayed to one side, gripping his inert sword and using it to support himself. His movements were sluggish, yet strong enough to continue.

It was far better than I could manage, as my arms and legs refused to co-operate when I tried to move.

"Enough…" Watts hissed, his handsome face distorted with a furious sneer. "I've had enough of all of you. Torchwick, kill those fools and get ready to leave."

"Uh, yeah, I would…" Torchwick winced when a healing light washed over him, yet again closing his wounds. Despite that, he looked nervous. "Y-Yeah, I'll get right on it."

Watts ignored him and pushed forward, striding towards Blake's downed form. The faunus Assassin groaned as she tried to drag herself up, but it looked like his heal hadn't given her that much strength. He must have ended it quickly once he realised I'd made him miss his target.

"When I came here, I was worried it would be boring," he said. "Now I see I was mistaken. More fool me, but it is not an error I shall make twice – nor is leaving you with a wound you might still recover from. It's time to die, Assassin."

"I won't let you hurt her!" Ruby appeared in front of Blake in a flash of red light. Crescent Rose was held before her, and although there was a fierce bruise down the side of her face, she still managed to smile grimly. "Blake is my guild mate, and I won't let anyone harm one of my friends."

Watts rolled his eyes and swept his arm to the side. "Get out of the way, brat."

He was a good three or four metres from Ruby still, but my eyes widened when a bright, yellow light shot from his hand. It was some kind of spell, and cast instantly. Ruby had no time to react – as surprised as I was to suddenly see him casting spells after fighting so long in melee. It struck her in the stomach and swept upwards. Ruby's back impacted the ceiling, and she coughed out blood. Her body fell like a red comet, slamming back onto the ground a second later.

She didn't move.

"Ruby…" I called weakly. I didn't have the strength for anything more. I was completely spent, my eyes barely able to stay open. The others were in no better shape, though Nora was trying to drag her body towards her hammer. Even if she made it, I wasn't confident she could stand.

Watts kicked Blake's hands out from under her as she tried to push herself up. She fell hard, cracking her face against the stone tiles, then grunted as Watts kicked her stomach to turn her over. She fell on her back, arms splayed out on either side and eyes pointed towards the ceiling. Watts' feet settled on either side of her, his great sword clasped with both hands, tip pointed down towards her chest.

"DIE!"

My voice cracked. "No!"

Blake's eyes clenched shut, but there was no such mercy for me. I stared at the blade as it shot down towards her, and even heard someone else cry out in despair. I prayed for something to happen, for someone else's to divert it at the last second, or for Watts to be dragged away or… something, anything! There was no such intervention, however. Watt's sword pierced down and struck her directly over the heart.

And skittered off her leather armour.

Watts stared down at his sword, his single eye wide. "What…?"

Blake seemed shocked, too, her hands coming up to touch her chest. It was only when she held her hands out and looked at them that I understood. There was a faint glow to her, a light white outline that seemed to surround her. One that had protected her from harm, and somehow turned away Watts' sword. There was a sound like wood striking stone several metres away, and the outline expanded from Blake's body, pushing the Paladin back. He stepped back with a growl and turned towards the entrance.

There, stood with one hand pointed towards Blake, and the other holding a staff, was the white-cloaked figure of Beacon's resident Priest. Her fox-like tail waved behind her, and a white glow emanated from her hand. Her brown eyes, however, were locked onto Watts.

"Tch, one of the faculty," Torchwick cursed, breaking off from Coco and Pyrrha to stand beside his ally. "I wondered when they'd get involved, but kinda hoped we could deal with this before they did. She's not a real teacher, though – just a healer. We could kill her and claim these idiots did it."

"You couldn't," Watts growled.

"Huh?"

"Oh, I don't think dear little Roman understands~" the woman purred. "How adorable. That said, I'll have to ask you to step away from those students. It would be hard for me to heal them if you hurt them any further."

Watts steadied his blade before him, eye narrowed.

"No? Oh well, I did try."

"There's only one of you," Torchwick said. "Even with those two brats, we'll be more than enough."

"Only one…?" She cocked her head to one side. "Ah, but I think you're mistaken there... and not for the first time."

Torchwick looked like he was about to ask what she meant, but for the two men taking a step back. I tried to push myself up to see what it was, but my hand gave way before I could. I fell face down against the stone floor, but still saw the moment Glynda Goodwitch entered the room. Her green eyes took in the scene in a moment, and her lips twisted into an angry snarl. Her weapon came out and her cape swirled behind her. It felt like the very air around us started to smell of ozone and smoke.

"Shit," Torchwick cursed. "I think it's time for us to split."

"You go nowhere!" Glynda roared. She lashed out with one hand, sending a coruscating ball of purple energy towards the duo. Watts pushed Torchwick behind him and swung his sword towards it. The two forces met, the energy draining down the steel and making the Paladin writhe with pain. He rode it out and gasped for breath, but had to be dragged back by Torchwick as the floor before him exploded upwards.

Miss Goodwitch leapt through the smoke, striking towards Watts with her tiny crop. He parried it easily, only to curse as her weapon glowed with unnatural energy at the last second. It cut through half his sword the moment it struck, and though it lodged into the metal a second later, she was able to wrench it free by placing her bare hand against his breastplate and launching him back with an explosion of black magic. The Warlock looked like she might have followed, but didn't wish to push any further past Blake's injured body.

"Tsune," she called. "See to the wounded. I would like a word with Mr Torchwick, and a far sterner one with his new friend."

"I don't think he would count as a student anymore, Glynda," Tsune, the fox faunus Priest, teased. "He did threaten to kill me a moment ago, after all."

"Did he now?" Glynda's arms fell to her side, and I watched in awe as some kind of spell leaked from her fingers and fell to the floor. It surged through the stone like a spider-web of purple cracks, reaching ever closer to the two men. Before long, the entire room pulsed with strange light. "That makes things easier, at least. Ozpin had his suspicions. Did you think you could continue this forever, Roman?"

"Heh, it's worked for me so far, but I guess it's about time I looked to expand elsewhere."

"Yes, and I have a delightful cell in mind." She held out one hand and gripped it into a fist. At the same time, the very walls around us seemed to groan and constrict. Dust and loose rock fell from the ceiling. "Or I could simply bury you here."

"Not even a fair trial?" Torchwick teased. Despite his tone, his expression was anything but confident. "That doesn't sound very honourable…"

"I dare say your alliance with a wanted criminal precludes the need for such." Her expression darkened. "Arthur Watts, you are wanted on several accounts of high murder and treason against the Kingdom of Atlas - our trusted allies. Submit and I shall make your death as painless as possible."

"You hear that, buddy? Looks like we're not welcome here anymore."

"It's about time we left anyway," Watts said. He took a step back, but kept his sword pointed towards the Warlock. "My mission was only to retrieve you. To stay any longer would be a waste of time."

The walls around the two of them cracked, Glynda's spell there flaring brightly. Even where I lay, I could feel the power creeping through the ground beneath me, making it heat up. The message was clear. With her magic suffusing the very walls around them, their options were limited.

"That is not your choice to make," she said, taking a purposeful step forward. "You seem to have had fun showing a group of young students what it's like to face a strong enemy supported by a healer. Perhaps you would like to test yourself against the two of us, and experience it for yourself."

"I think they do," Tsune egged on. "Oh, it's been a while since the two of us made people scream for mercy. Just the thought of it is making my heart race."

"Focus, Tsune. They've already resisted capture."

"That means we can kill them, right?"

Glynda's eyes narrowed. "It does."

The sheer weight of their presence was enough to rob me of my breath. I managed to drag myself back to the wall behind me and lean back against it. To my left, Weiss was still unconscious, but I could hardly bring myself to look away from the two on two deathmatch about to take place in front of us. Coco and Pyrrha quickly dragged Blake and Ruby away, removing them from any danger. I had to trust the teachers would know what they were doing, even if Watts was insanely strong.

Watts moved first. He dashed forward, sword held before him. Glynda leapt to the left, with Tsune going right, splitting the two up. Seeing his opportunity, Torchwick chased the Priest – determined to take the healer out of the equation and give his side the advantage. He surged towards the woman in white and swept his cane towards the side of her head. I cried out a warning as best I could.

She caught his weapon in the palm of her hand.

Torchwick must have felt as shocked as I did, because he stared stupidly at the woman, and was therefore left unprepared when the tip of her staff struck his face and broke his nose. He fell back with a startled cry and totally missed her fist following it up, cracking against his cheek.

"You know," the Priest said, almost conversationally, "I do get tired of everyone assuming a Priest like myself is an easy target." She swept into his guard and spun low, dragging his feet out from under him with the butt of her staff. "Do you think we're not aware of how squishy we are? Or that we imagine we wouldn't be the first targets of attack?"

Torchwick had no answer but for a groan. Tsune laughed and gripped him by the collar. She dragged him back onto his feet, then decked him across the face once more – sending him reeling back.

"I still know how to fight, moron – and even if I'm not as good at it as someone like Peter, I'm still a damn sight higher level than you are, boy!"

The Thief swayed and tried to steady himself. He blocked the next punch with his arms, then lashed out towards her face. He spat blood a second later as Tsune ducked below his attack and buried her staff into his ribs. She spun on the spot and slapped him across the face with the back of her hand. He flipped back, catching himself on the wall.

"It's not even fair, really. You must be, what, level thirty… forty at a push?" She wrapped her staff around his shoulders and slammed his face into the brickwork. "I was that fifteen years ago."

"Shut up!" Torchwick growled and pushed off the wall. He turned and tackled her, and I gasped as I saw he'd managed to stab a knife into her left leg. "How's that for under-levelled?"

The Priest smirked and tore the blade out in a spray of blood. "Hm, not bad." The wound healed in a flash of light. "That almost cost me a little mana – almost." She feinted into his guard and swept high with her staff. When Torchwick ducked, she laughed and rammed his knife back up into him.

He staggered back with a ragged gasp.

"Here, you can have it back."

The Thief touched the blade impaled in his shoulder and winced. He settled one hand around it to draw it free, but the motion was so much slower than the Priest's. Despite that, white light quickly washed over him, and he flashed a grin in Watts' direction. "Looks like this fight isn't going anywhere for either of us. What say we sit it out and wait for those two to finish?"

If he'd hoped to appeal to the healer, he was sorely mistaken. Instead of being frustrated, her expression was nothing short of rapturous.

"Yes, yes, perfect. Heal him. Give him everything you have, and take away everything I do. Hm, this is the wonderful. I can't wait to see what gives first, his mana… or your life." She licked her lips. "Shall we find out?"

Torchwick cursed and barely brought up his cane in time to block the crazed Priest's charge.

On the other side of the room, things were far less mundane. Watts charged in towards Glynda, but she cocked her head dismissively in his direction and didn't move to defend herself. At the last second, a wave of sheer power picked up around her, almost like a cyclone of dark light that spun about her body. It must have been more solid than it looked, because Watts sagged and flinched the moment he crossed it. He tried to bear the pain and continue through, but was forced to abandon that idea and back out. His armour was singed, and even warped on the shoulder. She ended the spell with a wave of the hand, and flung a curse at the Paladin. He dodged by rolling to the side and away.

The Warlock followed him. Green light trailed behind her as she brought one hand down, slashing with some strange whip-like spell. He looked to parry it, but clearly decided better at the last second and dodged instead. The stone tiles beneath him warped and melted when the whip touched it, but he was already rushing at her undefended side.

Or at least it looked undefended to me. Watts' pace suddenly slowed and he sagged to one knee. Beneath him, a puddle of black had appeared, and several hand-like appendages reached out to grip at his limbs, dragging him down. He growled and severed four or five with a single swing of his sword, then pulled himself out of the rest, their grip weakened. The moment he was clear, the puddle vanished – but he was forced to block a blast or arcane energy with his sword. Once more, electricity sparked down the blade and went straight into his hands. He shivered and clenched his teeth, but remained standing.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself. It only lasted for a second, however, as he scowled and held one arm out to the side, healing Torchwick yet again.

So far, Tsune had not been required to heal Glynda even once. I didn't think that was entirely due to their overpowering skill, either. Watts was strong, but he'd lost his greatest ace when I destroyed the runes on his sword, and he must have lost more than just mana for healing when Blake gouged out his eye. In the hands of a true warrior, it was said that a sword could become an extension of your arm. If that were true, then I'd severed his arm earlier. He'd already been fighting and casting for several minutes now, while the two teachers were fresh opponents.

It couldn't have helped that Torchwick was a drain for the Paladin, either. He honestly might have been better two against one, though I had a feeling Miss Goodwitch and Tsune had excellent teamwork. They certainly acted like they were used to fighting together.

Watts stood with a growl and clenched his fist before him. For the first time, the healing light washed over him and not Torchwick.

Glynda Goodwitch didn't bat an eyelid.

"Problematic…" he whispered. "As expected of the Dark Warlock of Vale. If it were just the two of us, I feel confident in saying I could kill you, but it seems the odds aren't in my favour."

"Pointless prattle," she replied curtly. "I would not have revealed myself were it the two of us, and I hardly care to indulge your motion of a fair fight when my students are in danger. Now, do you intend to fight or do you wish to continue complaining about the situation?"

"I don't think-"

"Too late." The teacher hadn't been idle while he spoke, and swept an arm before her. A wave of fire tinged with black roared across the room towards him. Watts dove to the side to dodge it, but stumbled as red chains surged from the flames and wrapped about his feet. They tugged, flipping him onto his stomach, and then began to drag him back towards the inferno, which still raged behind him.

The Paladin stabbed his sword into the stone floor to hold himself in place. Miss Goodwitch merely raised an eyebrow and strode towards him. Her expression was calm, her lips tight, but I held no misconceptions as to her intent.

She was going to kill him.

I couldn't bring myself to complain about that.

A knife flashed before the Warlock's eyes before she could, and the woman hopped back a pace and turned to the side. She leaned away from Torchwick's cane and placed a hand gently against his stomach. He immediately gasped and pushed her away – and I saw blood stain the front of his outfit. He staggered to Watts and stomped on the astral chains, snapping them in two. In turn, Watts stood and cast a quick healing spell on Torchwick.

It sealed the apparent wound, but did little for all the blood he'd lost. The Thief looked increasingly pale, and I realised that even though he'd been healed over and over again, it had still taxed him. There was no way all the agony from multiple beatings hadn't worn him down, mentally if not physically.

"Tsune, you were supposed to keep him busy."

"He slipped by me." the faunus apologised, standing beside and a little behind Glynda. "He's far weaker than I am, but he can still run away rather well." She twirled her staff and tapped it against the ground, summoning a wall of golden light that shielded not only her, but also the rest of us, from harm. "They're all yours, Glynda."

"Appreciated." Glynda drew back behind Tsune's shield and swirled her hands in a circular motion. For a second, it seemed to do nothing, but moments later, a ball of green-black energy formed between her palms. She drew them apart, forming it into a shape more like a spear, which she hoisted above her with one hand. Watts readied himself, but with no sword, was out of options but to tank it with his body. Meanwhile, Torchwick was all but bested – far weaker than the two teachers.

"This is the end for the both of you," Glynda intoned. "Know that death is the price all traitors pay in time."

She launched it forward.

A figure appeared between the two.

My breath caught.

"Gah!" Glynda dragged her hand to the side, and the projectile – still mid-flight – did the same. It impacted the far wall and exploded, digging a deep hole directly into rock. The Warlock panted, but still managed to glare at the small girl who'd stepped in front of her attack.

It was Roman's Seneschal, Neo.

"Get out of the way, girl. This is a matter between Heroes. Worry not, you shall be given a fair trial to ascertain whether or not you are guilty, or merely acted on his orders."

The Dancer shook her head, an almost defiant look on her face. It looked like her loyalty went further than just the job description, though I wondered what it was she thought she could do. Sure, I was Labour Caste like her as well, but I'd had eight or nine allies with me. She was one against two, and the two were so much stronger than she.

Still, Neo didn't move.

"If you refuse to step out of the way, I will be forced to count you as an enemy," the Warlock threatened. "Do not make me hurt you."

Neo held out one hand before her. With an elegant step forward, she offered the teacher a courtly bow. When her eyes rose back up once more, it was to reveal a cunning grin on her face, and an unusual sparkle in her mismatched eyes. Something was wrong... even I could tell that. The atmosphere felt heavy and choking, and it might have been my imagination, but it almost seemed like the air before the girl flickered... like water distorting on air. She raised her hand higher, now so that it hovered before her name and Class floating above her.

No… It was impossible.

The words above her head, the ones which detailed both her name and Class – they had flickered slightly. I was certain of it! I clenched my eyes shut and looked again, but the truth didn't change. They weren't quite all there, almost like they were blurred just a little bit. I'd never noticed before, mostly because I hadn't concentrated. Neo clicked her fingers together – and the words shattered into particles of light.

They revealed something very different, indeed.

"ILLUSIONIST!" Coco roared, drawing an arrow. She was fast, but nothing compared to Glynda Goodwitch, who thrust one hand forward. A pillar of fire exploded on the girl's location, reaching up to the ceiling and fanning out. It incinerated her, along with the two behind her – but all that was left behind were particles of bright light drifting in the air.

"No!" Glynda hissed. "Nobody move! Don't make a sound. They must still be-"

"ARGHHH!"

The scream came from outside the doors – from the guards Coco had left outside. One of them staggered in, hand clutched at something buried in his gut. He fell to his knees, then shifted so that he landed on his back – the sword still lodged inside his stomach.

"Tsune, see to him!" Glynda commanded. She dashed forwards and hopped over the body, even as the Priest skidded to kneel beside him, her hands already glowing a healing white. "The rest of you, stay here. Do not leave until the situation has been resolved!" The Warlock vanished down the corridor, leaving us behind to pursue the fleeing criminals.

I sagged back against the wall and took a deep breath. It wasn't like we were going anywhere in this state. One of my eyes cracked open as I heard someone settle down next to me. Pyrrha had one hand on Weiss' neck, and her sigh of relief was answer enough there.

"She's okay," Pyrrha said anyway, knowing I'd be concerned. "Ruby and Blake are okay, too. Both are unconscious, but fine."

"Check on Ren and Yang," I whispered. Nora was already dragging herself up onto her knees, but it was clear she wouldn't be up for walking, let alone fighting.

"What about you?"

"I'm fine." My vision swam. "A concussion, I think… along with bruises… maybe a broken bone." It was hard to tell because all of the pain had left me a while ago, which felt good, but probably wasn't the best of signs from a medical perspective. "I'll be okay," I hissed. "Make sure they are."

Pyrrha nodded and rose, limping over to Ren and Yang while Coco knelt by Yatsuhashi and checked his pulse. He must have been fine, for the Archer slumped next to him and leaned back on his chest. I hadn't even spared a thought to how exhausted her and Pyrrha must have been. Sure, their opponent had been less powerful, but Torchwick had still been dangerous, and likely fighting like a madman with Watts available to heal him.

It was just a testament to Pyrrha's raw ability that she was able to walk around unaided. She knelt by Ren and turned him over, and I relaxed when I saw him groan and hold a hand before his eyes. Yang shifted, too, rolling onto her side and wincing when she saw the state we were all in.

"Find the staff..." Nora said.

Pyrrha looked back. "Huh?"

"The staff," the Barbarian repeated. "It's what we came for." She winced and gave up standing to sit on crossed legs instead. A little blood dribbled from her lip, but she ignored it.

"We might still need the evidence," I agreed, voice strained.

"You won't," the Priest called, even though she didn't look our way. She was too busy dealing with the injured member of the Mercenary's Guild, but she could still hear us. "You might have if it weren't for what Glynda and I just witnessed. Any credibility Torchwick might have had has since been lost."

Good… or about time, rather. I leaned back, but nodded to Pyrrha regardless. She returned it and walked over to Torchwick's desk, looking through the drawers. Even if we didn't need it, there was still plenty of reasons to find it. Kaedin had entrusted us with it, after all.

"The Headmaster will want to speak with you about this," the healer continued. "This war among our own students is bad enough – well, from his perspective – but to have one of our own working with a wanted criminal?" She sighed. "That isn't something we need happening."

"We'll tell him what we know," I promised.

"After you rest. After you've all had a chance to rest and recover. It'll take us at least that long to bring this night to a close, and then there will be paperwork over it." She shot me a rather irritated look at that. "This is going to take hours to sort out."

"To be fair, it wouldn't have if you dealt with that dick yourselves," Coco called. The Archer weathered the Priest's glower with a cocky smirk. "Eh, you can't rain on my parade, teach. I won. He's out. Now all that's left is to find Fox, but either way, this night is my friend avenged." She laughed and slumped back over Yatsuhashi's body. "We did it, big guy."

"Ugh… Coco, you're heavy…"

She punched his shoulder.

"O-Ow…"

They weren't the only ones who'd done it, were they? Even if I didn't feel the same satisfaction, the same feeling of vengeance – we'd still broken free from Torchwick's grasp. After this, the TRE would surely be disbanded, their operations frozen or taken over by the academy. Sure, it might not fix our Guild Hall for us, but without the debt and threat of expulsion, we could do that at our leisure.

We'd done it.

We'd beaten Roman Torchwick.

The relief was crushing. It hit me in the stomach, and forced my head back against the wall. It even drove the breath from my lungs. It was a few seconds later that I understood why. I was laughing – and I couldn't stop.

"W-Well, Jauney's lost it," Nora half-giggled, half-winced.

"Or maybe he's just realised what we just managed," Ren said through clenched teeth. "Though we hardly came out unscathed… we are free."

"And everyone lived," Pyrrha added, already rummaging through Torchwick's belongings. "If that's not reason to celebrate, I don't know what is."

See, Pyrrha understood. It was nice to know someone did. Honestly, it wasn't as funny as my laughter made it sound, but I couldn't stop myself either way. It just… broke free, and then wouldn't stop, and Nora joining in definitely didn't help. By the time Yang rolled onto her back and started to laugh as well, I lost all hope of stopping.

At least until I laughed myself unconscious.


It's a slightly smaller chapter, I know. I actually don't have any more time to the day sadly, especially after losing 8am through to 1pm this morning. I'll try to make it up with a slightly longer chapter next week – what will likely be the last chapter of book three.


Next Chapter: 11th September

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur